Pedro David Espinozahttps://www.pedroespinoza.com
Entrepreneur & Motivational SpeakerWed, 31 Jul 2019 23:19:04 +0000en-US
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1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.3Harnessing the Power of Human Difference and How a Diverse and Inclusive Workforce Enhances Businesshttps://www.pedroespinoza.com/2019/07/harnessing-the-power-of-human-difference-how-a-diverse-and-inclusive-workforce-enhances-businesses/
https://www.pedroespinoza.com/2019/07/harnessing-the-power-of-human-difference-how-a-diverse-and-inclusive-workforce-enhances-businesses/#respondWed, 31 Jul 2019 23:09:45 +0000https://www.pedroespinoza.com/?p=1010For Pat Gelsinger, CEO of VMware and VMinclusion Co-Sponsor, having a diverse and inclusive workforce is not only a value, but a crucial strategy to business success. He calls it,...

]]>For Pat Gelsinger, CEO of VMware and VMinclusion Co-Sponsor, having a diverse and inclusive workforce is not only a value, but a crucial strategy to business success. He calls it, “harnessing the power of human difference.” I recently interviewed Pat for my upcoming book, Differences that Make a Difference in which I speak with top CEO’s and business leaders to discover the power of diversity and inclusion bring to a workforce. Through this interview, Pat reveals how he has intentionally woven this value into the foundation of his company.

VMware strives to aid businesses and non-profits in digitization, taking the best of technology to empower the people who need to use it. Their impact stretches from Silicon Valley to rural African farmers. They aid their clients with computing, cloud usage, networking and security, and revamping their digital workspace.

VMware proudly highlights diversity and inclusion within their workplace as key to their success. Why? Because output, particularly one intended to impact the global community, relies on the values and perspectives each teammate brings.

Pat Gelsinger writes, “Our collective success in 2018 was as much a result of remaining true to ourselves and our values as it was of our business strategy and customer focus. We succeed because of our values, not in spite of them.”

Interview with Pat Gelsinger

Yet while these ideals are great to talk about, bringing them into the company is an entirely new challenge. During the interview, Pat gave me the inside scoop.

“What are some tangible steps that companies can do to increase diversity and inclusion in the workplace, to increase diversity and inclusion holistically? As you said it is not just through one person, but through a team…”

With a sigh and “Oh many, many things…” he went on to share these three ideas:

“We have built it into our hiring programs. There is a female on every hiring team. Every candidate pool has at least one female before we make any hiring decisions. So though this we are building in different practices.

“This year we have added D&I to the CEO score card. This way it is at the highest level of company objectives, seen and reviewed regularly by board of directors. For every person on my leadership team, essentially part of their pay is how well we do in that aspect.

“It’s one of those heart problems in Silicon Valley, as I call it, and has taken many centuries if not millennia to get to some of these bad states we are in. So, it requires top down leadership as well as bottom up programs to move the needle.”

Thank you, Pat, for sharing these! Check out my book, Differences that Make a Difference, to join me on my journey of interviewing top CEO’s and leaders to better understand the power of diversity and inclusiveness in the workforce.

]]>https://www.pedroespinoza.com/2019/07/harnessing-the-power-of-human-difference-how-a-diverse-and-inclusive-workforce-enhances-businesses/feed/0Weaving Workshop: Generosity to Empowerhttps://www.pedroespinoza.com/2019/06/weaving_workshop/
https://www.pedroespinoza.com/2019/06/weaving_workshop/#respondFri, 21 Jun 2019 23:38:11 +0000https://www.pedroespinoza.com/?p=962The handmade alpaca clothing of Pan Peru weaves together the stories of underprivileged Peruvian women and the generosity of the Western Union Foundation. The hands that knit these pieces are...

]]>The handmade alpaca clothing of Pan Peru weaves together the stories of underprivileged Peruvian women and the generosity of the Western Union Foundation. The hands that knit these pieces are the hands of single moms and teenagers. They have struggled for the opportunity to overcome the challenge of limited access to clean water, electricity and education. The Western Union Foundation provided just that opportunity by funding a weaving workshop last fall. Now one woman proudly exclaims, “I consider myself a crocheting and knitting entrepreneur!”

The stark, jagged peaks of the Andes are beautiful but isolating. This makes the rural highlands incredibly difficult to survive in. The government has largely overlooked this region due to its inaccessibility, and the consequences show.

Pampas is a small village nestled high in these mountains. To this day, the 1,500 population subsists by farming and herding, which is simply not enough to cover basic needs. The women in this region agonize under the expectations to marry young and provide for their children. Sadly, there are few opportunities to improve their impoverished situation. Many women feel that they cannot do more, and their community only confirms this.

My mother, Julia Ardiles de Espinoza, was born in Pampas. She walked three hours to school, learned under ill-equipped and often drunk teachers, then trekked three hours back home. At that time, Pampas had no highway and no reliable electricity. Julia worked hard to attain scholarships for higher education. Eventually, she became an entrepreneur, climbing out of the grip of poverty.

My mother knows personally the obstacles before these women; however, she also knows their determination and ability. Because of this, she took on a crazy dream in 2004 to start Pan Peru. This non-profit educates, equips and empowers the most vulnerable women of her home to also become entrepreneurs.

Weaving Workshop

Towards this vision, the Western Union Foundation provided a grant on July 2018, that funded a weaving workshop. The 18-week workshop trained and mentored 23 women from the rural highlands. As a result, women learned the production technique of handmade alpaca clothing, product design, commercialization, marketing, and production. Already these women have generated an incredible $6,800 in revenue from producing over 100 garments. Now these new entrepreneurs enthusiastically embrace their skills and their quality of life is improving.

Thank you for empowering these women to become entrepreneurs and we look forward to a long-term partnership with the Western Union Foundation!

]]>https://www.pedroespinoza.com/2019/06/weaving_workshop/feed/0Rural Entrepreneur: The legacy of my Peruvian grandfatherhttps://www.pedroespinoza.com/2019/05/rural-entrepreneur/
https://www.pedroespinoza.com/2019/05/rural-entrepreneur/#respondFri, 03 May 2019 16:37:08 +0000https://www.pedroespinoza.com/?p=941Who I am and where I am started with my grandfather’s will to pursue a dream. His springboard: orphaned deep in the Andes mountains, with nothing to his name —...

]]>Who I am and where I am started with my grandfather’s will to pursue a dream. His springboard: orphaned deep in the Andes mountains, with nothing to his name — Alejandro Ardiles Caja. To those starting a business, a nonprofit, or taking on any challenge outside of your comfort zone, it all begins with dreaming a vision. The pursuit demands incredible innovation and stewardship of the little that you have. At some point, the people closest to you, or even you yourself may doubt the possibilities. As an entrepreneur, I draw inspiration from my entrepreneurial grandfather Alejandro and mother Julia.

My story of entrepreneurship begins far before I was born in the stark Peruvian mountains. Pampas is a village that nestles into the Andes over 12,000 feet above sea level. To this day, the 1,500 population subsists by agriculture and depends on the meager, often unreliable, Andes rainfall. Twenty years ago, Pampas had no highway, no reliable electricity, and one school situated 3 hours walking distance from the village.

Back in the 1920s, young Alejandro dropped out of the second grade to start working. As an orphan, he had no one to protect him, nor to guide him. He began his life against the odds, and yet he took every challenge to grow stronger. Alejandro eventually married and began a farming business. He and his wife Fortunata innovated with the crops they grew. They stewarded their resources to expand their business. Alejandro would travel hours with his horse to Huaraz (the capital of the state of Ancash) in order to sell his potato crops. “Fresh potatoes! Buy yellow potatoes in order to gain Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, F…Z!”. Eventually, they had my mother, along with nine other kids. They scraped enough money through farming to send their children to school. They dreamed to give their children better opportunities, and that is exactly what happened.

My mother grew up playing in the mud among the horses and walking those three hours to school. She would learn under ill-equipped and often drunk teachers, then take the laborious 3-hour walk back home. I see how my mother Julia took up the determination and entrepreneur’s spirit that my grandfather exemplified. She too worked hard to gain scholarships to study engineering at the National University of San Marcos — the oldest university in the Americas (yes, older than Harvard). After graduating, she started an energy business with my father. She, too, used the small resources she had to make something and has continued to do so her entire life.

In 2004, I watched my mom take on a crazy dream. She wanted to build a library in her village of Pampas. To say we would build a library, fit with wifi, books, computers, and audio equipment, in a village with no electricity, no sturdy roads, not even a police station, was ridiculous. This would first require organizing the community, then creating the proper infrastructure to support the construction. We would have to start from scratch. It was an unattainable dream-at least her family seemed to think so.

I still remember the night I watched my mom cry after her brother told her “you’re not even going to get a brick to Pampas.” I was only nine years old at the time. I watched my mom struggle through the discouragement that that her own brother did not believe in her dream. Yet through the tears, she did not allow the discouragement to affect her commitment to her vision. She refused to give up and founded Pan Peru: a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the mission of promoting education in under-served communities by building modern libraries, implementing reforestation programs in the Andes, and empowering women to become entrepreneurs.

After two years of nauseating SUV rides through sketchy Andes dirt roads with no signs, lanes, or paths, Pan Peru opened their first library in Pampas. Ten years later, Pan Peru has built 8 multimedia libraries throughout different under-served communities in the Land of The Incas. Now the organization has ventured beyond to plant over 9,000 pine trees with its reforestation program in the Andes and to empower women to become entrepreneurs through crafting textiles.

When I look at the stories of my grandfather and mother, I see how the overwhelming odds failed to douse their vision. It is easy to give the before and after pictures, the positive statistics, and the happy ending. However, these were not achieved without pushing through moments of impossibility when every excuse questions your vision and says you can’t do it.

When I reflect on these stories, I see a legacy of dreams, innovation, and stewardship. My grandparents (Quechua speakers) came from the humblest of beginnings. My mother used that foundation to press on and bless her village. This inspires me to go further, to dream bigger, and to innovate. Before starting my first Silicon Valley startup, I arrived in the Bay area with no network, no knowledge of JavaScript, and no venture funding. Yet, I did have my story, and I had the vision. These kinds of stories continue to inspire me to press forward, and I hope they inspire you too.

If you would like to hear more of the story of my grandfather, you can get his biography written by engineer, entrepreneur, and business leader Julia Ardiles de Espinoza.

]]>https://www.pedroespinoza.com/2019/05/rural-entrepreneur/feed/0The Fate of Entrepreneurship in America Relies on Immigrationhttps://www.pedroespinoza.com/2017/06/fate-entrepreneurship-america-relies-immigration/
https://www.pedroespinoza.com/2017/06/fate-entrepreneurship-america-relies-immigration/#respondFri, 30 Jun 2017 17:15:09 +0000https://www.pedroespinoza.com/?p=818My immigration story is a rarity. My family arrived to the U.S. in 1996 from Lima, Peru when I was 1 year old. My father had a green card and...

]]>My immigration story is a rarity. My family arrived to the U.S. in 1996 from Lima, Peru when I was 1 year old. My father had a green card and our family was financially comfortable, unlike many who take great risk and come with little or nothing. These different stories that we share during Immigrant Heritage Month speak to the great variety that comprises the value and contribution of immigrants to the United States.

I have always appreciated the unique spirit of America. At a young age, the U.S. fostered my hyper-curiosity, which was treated as a problem in Lima. My questions, ideas, and ever-changing thoughts were a benefit in class, not a burden. As an adult, I now understand that openness to innovation and entrepreneurship is what activates and energizes our economy.

Today, I am the kind of entrepreneur the U.S. has long welcomed. As the founder and CEO of SmileyGo, my real-time analytics platform uses artificial intelligence to help companies take control of their public policy risk and turn grants into visibility. In the hothouse of Silicon Valley my story is not uncommon. The most famous companies, Google, Intel, eBay—40 percent of Fortune 500 companies in 2016 were founded by immigrants or their children. The clear economic boon of immigration is unavoidable and obvious. Like others, my own company also employs eight full time American workers. Still, our outdated immigration laws work at cross-purposes with the burgeoning economic engine that immigration represents.

From a business perspective, I seek opportunities for economic growth and policies that will allow new ventures to thrive. The International Entrepreneur Rule, which is scheduled to go into effect in July, is a clear example of a policy that will allow up and coming entrepreneurs from around the world to start the next generation of innovative U.S.-based companies. The policy grants temporary parole into the U.S. for promising job creators who can acquire capital from U.S. investors and create jobs for American workers. It will enable us to retain the best talent and keep America at the forefront of innovation.

Not only is this new rule something that we can agree about across political divides, we need to press to expand it to better serve its true purpose. Increasing the total number of parole years allotted per entrepreneur from five years to eight years would draw more investors by reducing risk. It also provides a more reasonable time to realize a return on investment.

Today, we are at a crossroads. We must resist turning away from the world. We must resist becoming a fearful country. If we want to sustain a thriving economy, we need modernized immigration reform. Good economic thinking, the progress the U.S. has realized since its founding, and the hope that immigration represents, can be a bulwark and guide in the effort to keep the land of opportunity open and enduring.

]]>https://www.pedroespinoza.com/2017/06/fate-entrepreneurship-america-relies-immigration/feed/0Building a Legacy: How Corporate Social Responsibility Benefits Customers, Employees, and Reputationhttps://www.pedroespinoza.com/2017/03/building-legacy-corporate-social-responsibility-benefits-customers-employees-reputation/
https://www.pedroespinoza.com/2017/03/building-legacy-corporate-social-responsibility-benefits-customers-employees-reputation/#respondWed, 08 Mar 2017 17:33:08 +0000https://www.pedroespinoza.com/?p=774Did you know people quit their jobs because of their corporate social responsibility? Corporate Social Responsibility has evolved. CSR is the new marketing channel to leverage your brand equity among...

]]>Did you know people quit their jobs because of their corporate social responsibility? Corporate Social Responsibility has evolved. CSR is the new marketing channel to leverage your brand equity among Millennials. Now, in the age of social media and quick information, reputation is more important than ever. It is crucial for a company to have an upstanding legacy. CSR is no longer simply philanthropy for the purpose of tax write-offs. Rather, it is incorporated into a company’s core values and business model. Garratt Hasentab, the Director of Sustainability at the Verdigris Group, described the importance of CSR in an interview with Forbes, saying, “CSR policy is at the core of our daily operations and guides our future progress.” CSR is no longer about the past; it’s about the future and about the impact a corporation can make and the legacy it can create for generations to come. Hasentab expanded his point, explaining that “setting a good example is the greatest benefit in that we inspire other organizations, companies and individuals” and that it “encourages further inspiration in the community leading to a more enlightened perspective on how to run one’s business or lead one’s life.” SmileyGo is a real-time data analytics platform that uses AI to help organizations take control of their public policy risk and understand the community.

The Millennials, those who were born between 1980-2000, have the reputation for selfishness, materialism, and laziness. In the midst of these negative labels, studies have shown that Millennials have a tendency to give generously and to support corporations that give as well. In a recent study by the French communications company, Publicis Group, 8,000 millennials were surveyed and said they look to corporations to “help solve global problems” (Fortune). 78% of millennials recommend a corporation to peers based on the company’s generosity. In addition, young people themselves are generous; according to the 2016 Millennial Impact Report, 52% of millennials donated to a nonprofit in the month of July alone. Two prime examples of corporations that benefit from millennials because of their giving are Tom’s and Soapbox Soap’s. The “one-for-one” business concept is successful among millennials because giving shoes and soaps to those in need through a single transaction is a simple way that the customer is able to give to others by purchasing those products. Through strategic tax-deductible giving, a company builds trust with their customers and encourages them to participate in the cycle of giving through supporting an upstanding company.

Not only does CSR appeal to millennials and boosts a company’s reputation, but it also encourages employees to give back as well. When CSR is incorporated into the core value system of a company, it influences its employees to participate in and continue the cycle of giving. Employees are pleased to participate in a company that helps with improving society and the environment. In fact, according to a survey done by the nonprofit Net Impact, 53% of employees reported that “a job where I can make an impact” was essential to their happiness (Jeanne Meister, Forbes). Nearly all large companies match employees’ donations to nonprofits with an annual cap. For example, the Fortune 500 Company, Chevron, will match up to $10,000 in donations to nonprofits per employee annually (Chevron Humankind). By incorporating employees into the company’s CSR on an individual level, the matching of donations “further ingrains CSR into the company’s culture, while also providing personal satisfaction and empowerment among the employees” (hrcommunication.com).

Corporate Social Responsibility has evolved from simple philanthropy to making an impact on the community in lasting ways through the involvement of employees. The rise of social media and the younger generation has placed greater emphasis on a company’s reputation like never before. Corporate giving is no longer just about dollar signs, but about a core value system ingrained into a company that spreads to every nonprofit and individual it comes into contact with.

]]>https://www.pedroespinoza.com/2017/03/building-legacy-corporate-social-responsibility-benefits-customers-employees-reputation/feed/0It’s Not only about Making Moneyhttps://www.pedroespinoza.com/2016/11/its-not-only-about-making-money/
https://www.pedroespinoza.com/2016/11/its-not-only-about-making-money/#respondSun, 13 Nov 2016 05:53:30 +0000https://www.pedroespinoza.com/?p=723The picture above was at the 37th Annual Convention of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce in Riverside, California. I was honored to be one of the entrepreneur speakers and...

]]>The picture above was at the 37th Annual Convention of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce in Riverside, California. I was honored to be one of the entrepreneur speakers and pitchers at the Hispanic Shark Tank. I am very thankful to my friend and fellow Latino leader Manny Fernandez for letting me know of this convention. We need more events like these to promote diversity not only in technology but also in the rest of the industries.

1. 90% of consumers view environmental and social responsibility as a crucial component of a brand’s appeal.

In a fast-paced economy, customer behavior changes rapidly. While CEOs are pressured to maximize shareholder value — few realize that maximizing shareholder value and becoming better corporate citizens are not mutually exclusive. Doing good to our community is good for business: it is not only about making money or making a good product but also about investing in the communities we work. We live in a world where female consumers represent more than 70% of purchasing power globally, according to Boston Consulting Group publication. In addition, with the boom of social media companies can better communicate and understand what their customers value: sustainability, responsibility, and transparency. Enterprises need to adapt to the paradigm shifts in order to maintain the lead in innovation. For instance, earlier this year Alaska Airlines announced its plan to acquire Virgin America. As the President & CEO of a member company of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, I was invited to participate in the event in which Alaska’s CEO Brad Tilden would announce the company’s plan to expand its West Coast presence. The Mayor of San Francisco Ed Lee, CFO of Blue Shield of California Michael Murray, among other prominent business leaders were present at this wonderful event at the Four Seasons. As soon as Brad Tilden grabbed the microphone, he announced Alaska’s commitment towards the community by writing a check to a San Francisco orphanage. He not only spoke about doing good. He executed. We need more of this. I’m encouraged to see more and more CEOs embracing high standards of corporate citizenship by becoming doers of philanthropy.

2. Millennials care more about engaging with the nonprofits programs and events.

Over 30% of American workers today are Millennials, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Data. Since 2015, Millennials have surpassed Generation X to become the largest generation in the U.S. labor force. Certainly, Millennials genuinely value volunteering and giving back as part of their daily jobs. Employees prefer to spend a day volunteering at a nonprofit teaching Hispanic children computer science over writing a check. People love stories. Beautiful stories are generated when corporations not only fund nonprofit programs but also encourage team members to spend a day volunteering at the STEM program or event. For instance, it was through my volunteering experience in the Andes, where I realized the lack of education in Peru. This service trip inspired me to start a nonprofit organization in my school, which later inspired me to start my first startup: SmileyGo. This past summer, our 5 employees at SmileyGo volunteered a total of 160 hours at nonprofits such as the Silicon Valley Education Foundation, Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley, Save The Bay, and Project Open Hand. People are the cornerstone of a successful business. Your employees will be more motivated to work when you encourage them to give back at their favorite charities. During our first year at SmileyGo, we sponsored a philanthropic dinner in Berkeley, California. In 2016, we took it to the next level by volunteering every Friday. There’s no point of comparison. Engaging with the nonprofit program generated more employee motivation over writing checks to support balls, dinners, and events. Combining grants with employee engagement would create an outstanding strategy to not only improve employee retention but stronger community relations, pubic affairs, and government relations results.

3. Nowadays, it isn’t enough to quantify how much you give.

Writing a handful of checks to the local homeless shelters during the end of the fiscal year used to be the norm. Quantifying the number of zeros in your annual giving budget used to be the number 1 KPI. In 2016, the standards are higher for corporations. It is fairly easy to measure how many dollars you have given. For the past three years, I have had the opportunity to listen to corporate citizenship, PR, external affairs, and community relations leaders from SMBs to Fortune 500 companies in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. It has been intriguing to learn that many leaders came to the conclusion that numbers are not enough when it comes to deciding which nonprofit to fund. Administrative costs, CEO compensation, and working capital do not suffice the team leader’s criteria to execute. Nonprofit follow ups after the donation has made are not enough. Not only is nonprofit interaction needed but a system where you can view who has funded this charity program in the past, ratings of the event from a supplier’s & vendor’s perspective, and recommendations by other funders. Especially when you fund a nonprofit overseas. How can you be certain that the donation was used for the cause? An Uber-esque application is needed in the sense where a graduate student studying in South Africa can use the app to verify that a nonprofit bought 100 Macbooks to empower kids to become web designers. The user could take a photo or video of the program and interview the stakeholders and then send the impact report with a click. Thus, human interaction is needed. Not only should we hold nonprofits and corporations accountable when it comes to giving but we also need a third party input. Last, I was inspired when I learned that some HR teams use KPIs such as what % of candidates decided to work here due to our community engagement and volunteering initiatives. We are moving forward. It’s time to show the world that it is not only about the bottom line but also about improving the communities we do business in. I believe we can do it!

]]>https://www.pedroespinoza.com/2016/11/its-not-only-about-making-money/feed/0Three Steps Toward a Successful Speechhttps://www.pedroespinoza.com/2016/06/3-steps-for-a-successful-speech/
https://www.pedroespinoza.com/2016/06/3-steps-for-a-successful-speech/#respondThu, 30 Jun 2016 04:56:04 +0000https://www.pedroespinoza.com/?p=693Last month, I had the honor to speak at the 2016 Silicon Valley Leadership Summit Conference in the Faculty Club of Stanford University, California. It was a privilege to speak...

Last month, I had the honor to speak at the 2016 Silicon Valley Leadership Summit Conference in the Faculty Club of Stanford University, California. It was a privilege to speak at an event where Tim Campos (CIO of Facebook), Jorge Titinger (CEO of Silicon Graphics International), and Laura Gomez (Founder & CEO of Atipica) participated. This summit consisted of hundreds of Hispanic leaders in the tech, finance, and VC industries. Respected investors such as Alberto Yepez (Managing Partner of Trident Capital) and Manny Fernandez (CEO of DreamFunded) were part of the judge panel. It was the seventh anniversary of this event where I had the opportunity to pitch SmileyGo.

1. Start with a Thank You: Joy comes from a thankful character. There is nothing more beautiful than a thankful and grateful personality. That will make your speech start on the right track. At the Silicon Valley Leadership Summit I started with a thank you and the audience was more receptive and excited to listen to the pitch. To be precise, the beginning of my pitch was in Spanish: “Muchas gracias! Gracias a Dios por esta oportunidad.” Generosity generates more generosity. A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to keynote the San Jose Citywide Youth Conference, and the audience was highly welcoming. The audience wants you to succeed, not fail. Step up with a smile and be courageous.

2. Vary your Tone: You will obtain the same results when you try the same strategy. It’s time to vary it! Diversify. One reaps what one sows. There is a plethora of reasons why portfolio managers invest in different securities. In a similar manner, it’s good to diversify your oratory strategies. When you start your speech with energy you should later slow down and focus on the main topics. People will remember the beginning and the end of your speech. For instance, when I was speaking about the business model my tone switched to a more informative one. However, when I was pitching the inspirational part of how we started, my tone varied to a more enthusiastic and personable one.

3. Engage your Audience : A heartwarming eye to every single member of the audience will make them feel like the most important individual within it. Don’t grow weary of encouraging others. In addition, laugh. Laughter generates more laughter. It’s a virtuous circle. You should spend approximately 5 to 10 seconds with each person within the audience. Eye contact is vital. In addition, you should ask questions to your audience in order to grab their attention. For instance, during my pitch I asked who liked Peruvian food such as ceviche, lomo saltado, causa rellena, or anticuchos (most of the audience raised their hands). Engaging your audience in creative ways will make your speech unique. One should make each person in the room feel like he or she is the only individual in the stage while you are speaking. That will make them recollect your speech.

]]>https://www.pedroespinoza.com/2016/06/3-steps-for-a-successful-speech/feed/0White House: TechHire Initiativehttps://www.pedroespinoza.com/2016/03/white-house-techhire-initiative/
https://www.pedroespinoza.com/2016/03/white-house-techhire-initiative/#respondFri, 18 Mar 2016 08:39:57 +0000https://www.pedroespinoza.com/?p=671It was an honor to meet Secretary of Labor Tom Perez a few months ago to discuss how Silicon Valley corporations can generate more tech jobs for the next decade. Here...

]]>It was an honor to meet Secretary of Labor Tom Perez a few months ago to discuss how Silicon Valley corporations can generate more tech jobs for the next decade. Here are three staggering facts about our country’s economy and President Obama’s TechHire Challenge.

1. By 2020, there will be 1 million more IT jobs than computer science students in the United States

Employers are struggling to find local talent to meet their STEM job openings. One of the results is offshoring. This damages our economy as more and more corporations are creating jobs elsewhere but the United States. In less than five years there will be nearly 1.5 million computing jobs but only 400K computer science students. By computing jobs the US Bureau Labor of Statistics refers to jobs in the disciplines of computer science, computer engineering, information systems, information technology, software engineering, and related fields. A week ago, I met Richard Holden — regional commissioner of the Bureau Labor of Statistics in San Francisco– to brainstorm how SmileyGo can use public data to empower corporations to give smarter. Perhaps one of the solutions for our IT talent scarcity can be for corporations to sponsor STEM programs in underserved communities. One would be killing two birds with one stone: 1. Lack of diversity in the tech industry. 2. Lack of local tech talent.

Evidently, this unfavorable shortage means our government should consider an education and immigration reform in order to create more local STEM talent.

There are several benefits for attracting talent from nontraditional talent pools. Statistics show that it improves retention. Decreasing retention rates are one of the largest expenses for Fortune 500 companies. Moving on, hiring candidates from unique talent pools reduces difficulty in filling roles. Most importantly, attracting talent from unorthodox talent pools helps improve workforce diversity. Diversity is necessary for your business. It not only generates positive PR but also fosters more creativity, innovation, and profitability for your business. Does your HR team need help recruiting diverse candidates? A friend of mine, Laura Gomez is presiding Atipica: a data science startup that creates atypical products that enable understanding between companies, hiring managers, recruiters and applicants. Words are not enough to describe my joy for my fellow Latinas and Latinos who are leading startups in Silicon Valley.

3. STEM Roles Take Longer to Fill Today

Back in 2010, the median time to fill for STEM roles was 43 business days. In 2015, the median time increased to 63 business days. In a span of five years, the average time has increased by over 46%. By “time to fill” the CEB Analysis refers to the beginning of STEM recruitment to the start date of the employee. This slowdown increases the risk of losing talent to competitors and costs a median of $8.55 million per 1,000 vacancies via lost productivity and additional hiring work. In addition, this harms the productivity of employees who depend on the vacant role. Compared to 2010, it now takes five extra weeks to fill the average vacancy. Pursuing this further, for each additional day that a single vacancy is open, the average corporation loses approximately $407 per vacancy.

Without a doubt, the government and private sector should begin to solve this rising problem. Kudos to Mayor Sam Liccardo who’s leading the San Jose TechHire initiative in order to train and provide on-the-job training and employment to 1,000 participants. The most important asset of an organization is its people.

]]>https://www.pedroespinoza.com/2016/03/white-house-techhire-initiative/feed/05 Steps to Boost Teamworkhttps://www.pedroespinoza.com/2016/02/644/
https://www.pedroespinoza.com/2016/02/644/#respondMon, 08 Feb 2016 07:01:13 +0000https://www.pedroespinoza.com/?p=6441. Open door policy Maintaining an open door policy with employees will lead them to trust you. We should always aim for open discussion based on objective concepts. While several CEOs...

Maintaining an open door policy with employees will lead them to trust you. We should always aim for open discussion based on objective concepts. While several CEOs do not encourage discussion since it will “slow down” the roadmap executions, it is crucial to foster a safe environment for open discussion. Needless to say, these discussions have to be objective and linked to the timeline, strategy or roadmap. Certainly, it will slow down your product roadmap even more if you discourage open discussion among your board, leadership team, and company.

2. One on ones

Having the opportunity to grab coffee with a coworker outside of the office is so important. During our first year at SmileyGo, the leadership team never had one on ones with our interns, associates or managers. The first year of our data science company was the hardest one in terms of team building. If we had the chance to do it again, we would focus on building the foundation with strong relationships. People run businesses. Businesses do not run businesses. You get to know the person much better when you are outside of the office environment enjoying a great lunch at La Mar in Embarcadero.

3. Cross collaboration

Cross collaboration is key specially for startups. Don’t follow the traditional way where your coders are programming all day inside a cubicle and your marketing experts are all day outside of the office. This will cause your team to never cross collaborate and even know what they are doing. Lets face it: engineers think very differently from marketing specialists. Teamwork success happens when your marketing expert understands the design thinking mindset of your UI/UX engineer. How can engineers build products if they are isolated from the market? How can marketing associates promote a product if they don’t know the unique differentiation? It’s time to cross collaborate.

4. Q&As with the leadership team

Lets face it: humans are genuinely inquisitive beings. Most importantly, your teammates would love to know your mindset, philosophy, and strategy for the company’s success. Last summer we recruited 10 interns who loved our Q&A sessions with our leadership team. It doesn’t have to be super formal. You can organize them at a social to Santa Cruz, luncheon or dinner. These interns from Stanford, Duke, and Berkeley felt more identified with our company when they realized their voice counts. Google does a phenomenal job at this.

5. Socials

There is nothing better than playing a doubles table tennis match with your coworkers during a Friday evening. Be creative – you can go hiking, karaoke singing or golfing. This past August, two engineers got into the ocean with their glasses — I had advised not to — and that was the last day they saw those Ray-Bans. Hilarious experiences like these will enhance your teamwork at your enterprise.